Caster tip for a continuous casting process

Abstract

A caster tip for a twin roll continuous strip caster for non-ferrous metals. The caster tip includes a caster tip body made primarily of a ceramic material, and an electric resistance heater thermally connected to the caster tip body for pre-heating the caster tip body to a predetermined temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A caster tip for a continuous strip caster for non-ferrous metals, wherein the caster tip comprises a caster tip body made primarily of a ceramic material, and an electric resistance heater thermally connected to the caster tip body for pre-heating the caster tip body to a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         2 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the electric resistance heater is located on and in thermal contact with at least one of the upper and lower surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The caster tip according to  claim 2 , wherein the electric resistance heater covers at least 30% of the area of said upper and/or lower surface. 
     
     
         4 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body has a width and the electric resistance heater extends across substantially the entire width of the caster tip body. 
     
     
         5 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric resistance heater comprises at least one heater panel that includes an electric heating element embedded in a support panel. 
     
     
         6 . The caster tip according to  claim 5 , wherein the support panel comprises a ceramic fibre board or a non-ceramic fiber board. 
     
     
         7 . The caster tip according to  claim 5 , wherein the caster tip body includes at least one recess that receives a heater panel. 
     
     
         8 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric resistance heater comprises at least one electric heating element that is embedded within the ceramic material of the caster tip body. 
     
     
         9 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric resistance heater comprises at least one electric heating element that is accommodated within a groove formed in a surface of the caster tip body. 
     
     
         10 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body made primarily of a ceramic material that includes fused silica. 
     
     
         11 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body made of a ceramic material that includes fused silica, ceramic fibre, microsilica and a bonding material comprising colloidal silica. 
     
     
         12 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body is made of a ceramic material that has a thermal conductivity at a temperature of 700° C. in the range of 0.1-30 W/mK. 
     
     
         13 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body includes at least one thermal conductor element having a thermal conductivity greater than that of the ceramic material. 
     
     
         14 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip is used in casting aluminium, wherein the predetermined temperature is in a range of 600-750° C. 
     
     
         15 . The caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip body comprises a top plate and a bottom plate, and the top and bottom plates are spaced from one another to provide a feed slot for liquid metal at a front edge of the caster tip body, and an inlet port for liquid metal at a rear end of the caster tip body. 
     
     
         16 . The caster tip according to  claim 15 , further including a baffle structure between the top and bottom plates for distributing a flow of liquid metal from the inlet port to the feed slot. 
     
     
         17 . The caster tip according to  claim 15 , wherein the front edge of the castor tip body is tapered to fit between a pair of counter-rotating rolls in a twin roll caster. 
     
     
         18 . The caster tip according to  claim 15 , wherein the caster tip body comprises a monolithic cast structure that includes the top plate, the bottom plate and the baffle structure. 
     
     
         19 . The caster tip according to  claim 15 , wherein the caster tip body comprises an assembly of separate cast structures including the top plate and the bottom plate, and optionally the baffle structure. 
     
     
         20 . A continuous strip caster for non-ferrous metals, the strip caster including a pair of counter-rotating casting elements and the caster tip according to  claim 1 , wherein the caster tip is located adjacent a nip between the casting elements and is configured to feed liquid metal into the nip to form a cast strip of metal. 
     
     
         21 . The continuous strip caster according to  claim 20 , wherein the counter-rotating casting elements comprise a pair of counter-rotating rolls, and wherein the caster tip is located adjacent a nip between the rolls.